After appetizers on Wednesday and Thursday, NFL fans got a full meal Sunday afternoon with the first real slate of games. And there was plenty to enjoy, from Josh Allen’s heroics to a throwback performance from Kirk Cousins. Here are five takeaways from Week 1:
The Bears’ offense might be a juggernaut
In his first year in Chicago, Ben Johnson led the Bears to an 11–6 record and their deepest playoff run since 2010. But he set the bar even higher ahead of this season. In addition to chasing a Super Bowl, Johnson has openly talked about having the “highest-scoring offense ever.”
“I want shutouts,” Johnson told The Athletic. “I want blowouts.”
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Johnson got his blowout Sunday, as the Bears beat up on the Panthers, 59-37. Two years ago, Chicago didn’t score their 59th point until Week 4. But Caleb Williams was a rookie then, and in his first game of Year 3, he looked to be in full control of the offense. Williams went 21 for 29 for 269 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for two more. D’Andre Swift added 124 yards and three touchdowns on the ground as the Bears totaled 552 yards of offense.
Chicago’s 59 points set a franchise record for highest output in a season opener and tied for second-most points by any team in a Week 1 game.
The NFC favorites had a rough opening week.
Two Super Bowl hopefuls started their seasons off with key injuries. On Wednesday, the defending champion Seahawks lost quarterback Sam Darnold to a glute injury in the first quarter of their Super Bowl rematch against the Patriots. While the Seahawks still pulled out a 13-10 win behind backup Drew Lock, they could be without Darnold for a “couple of games,” according to NFL Network.
The Rams, who went all in on their Super Bowl hopes by trading for Myles Garrett this offseason, also took a hit this week. After falling flat against San Francisco in Thursday’s Australia game, the Rams announced that Garrett will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knee and miss at least four games on injured reserve. Garrett, the reigning defensive player of the year, played a full game against the 49ers but didn’t register a tackle or sack.
“This was the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there, and I’ve got to be better,” Garrett said after the loss. “I’ve got to find a way to recover and get back to the player I know I can be and I’ve shown that I’ve been before.”
A few new coaches earned impressive first wins.
In his first game as coach of the Bills, Joe Brady was tasked with putting together a game-winning drive. Buffalo’s former offensive coordinator, who was elevated to head coach this offseason while maintaining play-calling duties, put his faith in quarterback Josh Allen with the Bills down 31-30 in the fourth quarter. Allen led the Bills on a seven-play, 96-yard scoring drive to take a late, 36-31 lead. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud nearly mimicked that feat, leading the Texans down to the Bills’ 18-yard line with 25 seconds left. But a strip sack from Greg Rousseau ended the game and gave Brady’s Bills their first win.
Meanwhile, the Ravens traveled to Indianapolis and made a statement in their first game under coach Jesse Minter. Derrick Henry ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-23 blowout. Mike McCarthy led the Steelers to a 20-13 win over the Falcons and Las Vegas’ Klint Kubiak earned a 27-13 win against the Dolphins.
Don’t forget about the old QBs.
It’s been quite a two-year stretch for Cousins. In March 2024, he signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons, only to watch Atlanta draft a first-round quarterback a month later. That rookie, Michael Penix, eventually unseated Cousins as the starter in Atlanta. This offseason, Cousins signed with the Raiders knowing the team would draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall in April’s draft.
Even if he has accepted the role of mentor, Cousins showed on Sunday that he can still produce as a starter. The 38-year-old completed 21 of 30 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns in a 27–13 win over Miami. He became the first Raiders starter to throw three touchdowns in the season opener since Kerry Collins in 2005.
But Captain Kirk wasn’t the only starter who showed he still has some juice: 33-year-old Jacoby Brissett went 27 for 37 for 277 yards and a touchdown as the Cardinals opened the season with a surprising 26–14 win over the Chargers in Los Angeles.
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